Alex Corretja predicts "tumultuous" 2025 season: Sinner and Alcaraz face new rising talents at Australian Open

As the Australian Open approaches, Alex Corretja, former world No. 2, has weighed in on the contenders for the title, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz being the main favourites. However, he anticipates a ‘tumultuous season’ ahead with the rise of new talents capable of challenging the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz.

Corretja acknowledged that Italian Sinner is the strong favourite for the title in Australia but pointed out that, being the start of the season, there is room for surprises.

Corretja: New generation threatens Sinner-Alcaraz dominance

The two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja has been a Eurosport commentator for 10 years and is considered one of the most authoritative voices on the ATP Tour, especially when it comes to Spanish players like Carlos Alcaraz. The 21-year-old will aim to complete the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne this year.

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According to Corretja, the 2025 season could feature many surprises, with young talents continuing to break through and challenge Sinner and Alcaraz. Meanwhile, some veterans, led by Novak Djokovic, continue to show competitiveness and could pull off surprises.

“I have the feeling that we are on the brink of a more tumultuous season than we’ve had in recent years,” said Corretja. “While I think that both (Jannik) Sinner and (Carlos) Alcaraz will still be there, there could be quite diverse results because the younger players now believe they can win, and the more experienced ones know they still have a chance.”

“The Australian Open is always a bit of an unknown because you have the reference from what happened two months ago on the circuit. We know Sinner ended the year strong, and Alcaraz was a bit mentally drained at the end, but suddenly they go home, and in four weeks, no one knows how they’ve been training, and they can surprise us.”

Corretja highlights potential surprises at Australian Open

The defending champion and world No. 1, Sinner, is seen as the favourite by most. His performance at Rod Laver Arena last year was outstanding, ending Novak Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak in Melbourne and coming back from two sets down to claim his first major title. The conditions favour a player like Sinner, who, despite arriving without preparation tournaments, trusts in his ability to quickly adapt to top-level competition.

“Sinner has earned a bit more favoritism, but I really trust Alcaraz’s freshness at the start of the new year. I wouldn’t rule out (Novak) Djokovic, and you never know what’s going to happen with (Alexander) Zverev, because he’s always around but has never quite managed to win a Grand Slam. Then there’s always the chance of a (Taylor) Fritz coming in with confidence, and you never know.”

“It’s a bit tricky because when we reach the other tournaments, we’ve already seen everyone play, but here they start almost from scratch, and that’s why it’s so difficult to make a prediction,” the former Spanish Davis Cup captain mentioned.

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"Alcaraz’s 2024 was exceptional": Corretja defends the Spanish star

The current world No. 3 has struggled to maintain consistency in 2024, unable to keep pace with Sinner, who ended the season with a 77-6 record and 8 titles, more titles than losses. Alcaraz defeated the Italian in their three head-to-head encounters and also claimed two Grand Slam titles, but finished the season significantly behind in the ATP Rankings, with a gap of almost 5,000 points.

At key moments, Alcaraz showed mental strength throughout the year but suffered several surprising defeats. He lost in the semifinals of the Argentina Open to Nicolas Jarry (No. 21), in the first round of the Cincinnati Open to Gael Monfils (No. 46), in the second round of the US Open to Botic Van de Zandschulp (No. 74), and in the Round of 16 at the Paris Masters to Ugo Humbert (No. 18). These losses were quite unexpected at the time.

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“The criticism of Alcaraz makes me laugh, but it’s almost sad,” claimed Corretja. “It’s a clear demonstration of how little we know about things that aren’t our own and the vehemence with which we comment on them. To me, what he’s doing is spectacular, and his season last year was exceptional. I give him a 9.95 out of 10, not a 10 just to be picky.”

“I think a lot of the people commenting have no idea how difficult it is to achieve what he’s doing. Alcaraz is having an incredible career and still has room to grow,” the former wordl No. 2 added. “In fact, if Alcaraz doesn’t win a Grand Slam this year, it would be a surprise to me, starting with Australia. If he’s physically well, he can have a great tournament and, why not, win it.”

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